Electrical control circuits for sequential energization and deenergization of programmed apparatus



17, 1955 M. CHEVALIER ETAL 3,201,601

ELECTRICAL CONTROL CIRCUITS FOR SEQUENTIAL ENERGIZATION AND DEENERGIZATIQN 0F PROGRAMMED APPARATUS Filed Sept. 29, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 C35t- -4 L JMO: MM

Aug. 17, 1 M. CHEVALIER ETAL ELECTRICAL C 3,201,601 ON'I'ROL CIRCUITS FOR SEQUENTIAL ENERGIZA'IION AND DEENERGIZATION OF PROGRAMME!) APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 29, 1961 United States Patent 3 291,661 ELECTREQAL CQNTR JL (IERCUETS FUR fiEQEIEN- TIAL ENERGLZATEGN AND DEENERGKZA'HUN 9F PR'SGRAMMED APPARATUS Michel @Chevalier and Gerard Cottrez, Rueil, Seine ct Gise, France, assignors to La 'lelernecauique Electrique, Nanterre, Seine, France Filed Sept. 29, 1951, $83. No. ldlfib Claims priority, application France, Get. 12,, 196i Mlfiil? 5 filairns. (Cl. Sli7-e.5)

For the control of automatic electric equipment, such as machine tools and other industrial apparatuses working according to a preset program, electromagnetic contactors are usually employed, which include electromagnets or solenoids and switches or contacts operated thereby. The solenoids are connected in control circuits which include contacts at least some of which are operated by the solenoids of the contactors themselves and/or by auxiliary relays associated therewith; these control circuits are so designed as to materialize or manifest the desired logical operating conditions of the controlled equipment.

Control systems of the kind just specified, while being very reliable and Widely used, have a shortcoming in that they are bulky and include movable mechanical components, and hence are subject to damage by wear, are nois and have a relatively long time of response.

It has been known for very many years that an electro mechanical relay can be replaced by an electronic valve device, of the triode type, these terms being here used to designate both evacuated tube devices, and solid-state devices. While such electronic valve devices are free from the shortcomings just mentioned, they do not permit, as do electromechanical relays, a complete separation between the control circuit and the controlled circuit. Nevertheless, such electronic valve devices, including the more recently developed magnetic amplifier devices especially those having rectangular characteristics, are currently in wide use being used in the fields of communications, controls and computation.

It has already been proposed, taking advantage of the advanced state of development of such electronic valve devices as used in the fields just mentioned, to construct the logical circuits for controlling automatic electric equipment from such electronic valve devices, these being grouped into functional units which will hereinafter be termed static relays, each such unit or static relay being defined by a certain logical function. The terminology used herein for designating such logical units or static relays is defined as follows:

A unit delivering an output signal on application of an input signal thereto (and equivalent to an electromechanical relay having one pair of work contacts) is called a YES-gate; and a unit delivering an output signal when it does not have an input signal applied thereto is called a NOT-gate sometimes called negator (being equivalent to an electromechanical relay having a pair of rest contacts).

A unit which delivers an output signal. when all of a plurality of inputs have input signals applied thereto (logical multiplication or intersection) is called an AND- gate (and is equivalent to an electromechanical relay having a plurality of work contacts in series).

A unit which delivers an output signal when at least one of a plurality of inputs of said unit has an input signal applied to it (logical addition or union) is called an (JR-gate (and is equivalent to an electromechanical relay having a plurality of work contacts in parallel).

A unit which delivers an output signal when none of its plurality of inputs has a signal applied thereto, i.e.

3,2hlfilll Patented Aug. 17, 1965 the logical complement of an AND-gate will be called a NOR-gate (being equivalent to an electromechanical relay having a plurality of rest contacts in series).

The logical circuits used combine some or all of the above enumerated static relays or gates, with the pos sible further use of relay elements, storage or memory units, and the like. Such logical circuits as now used have a certain number of drawbacksespecially when used in connection with the automatic control of electrical equipment.

First, they are in the form of intricate many-branched networks in which it is difiicult to isolate any particular element for checking its operation, service and replacement. Moreover such logical circuits have but little resemblance with conventional electromagnetic circuits and a long time of retraining is necessary for a worker trained. in the conventional technique to become familiar with the static-relay logical circuit technique. This apprenticeship is especially diflicult because of the abstract character of the logical functions performed by static relays, which are not directly related in an apparent Way to the concrete conditions they are supposed to express.

A more serious defect of logical circuits as they have heretofore been constructed is their unreliability. Thus for example considering a static relay of the NOT or the NOR types, it will be clear that a break in the input circuit of the relay due to some accidental cause will produce the same result as a command signal deliberately applied to said relay, and will have repercussions on the entire electrical system to be controlled, rather than merely arresting its operation, as would be required for safety reasons.

in the communications and computer techniques, use is also made of so-called fiipflop circuits which are placed in one or another output condition depending on the receipt or non-receipt of one or more input command signals. In this connection the following terminology will here be used. A fiipllop circuit so constructed as to shift from one to another of two output conditions on receipt of an input signal, and to return to the initial condition on removal of the command signal (such as a one-shot multivibrator) will be termed a monostable flipllop. A fiipllop circuit such that it shifts from one to another condition on receipt of an input signal and remains in said other condition so long as it has not received another input signal, whereupon it is restored to said one condition, will be termed a bistable llipflop.

Various circuits have been suggested for the construction of flipflops. One particularly simple form of monostable flipllop circuit includes a pair of asymmetrically coupled triodes (which may be tubes or transistors or other solidstate elements).

It has already been observed (of. for example German Patent 1,854,492) that when an output of such a monostable ilipilop is used as a biassing voltage for rendering conductive or non-conductive an electronic valve element, the rliplicp is comparable to an electromechanical relay including the relay winding, magnetic core and movable armature of said relay, while the electronic valve element is comparable to a pair of contacts of such relay. in the aforementioned German patent, such a circuit is used as an intermediate relay means interposed between an input signal line and an electromechanical relay, with an output transistor element being rendered conductive by the output signal from the llipflop, serving to complete a circuit for energizing the Winding of the electromechanical relay.

It is an object of this invention to provide a control system and control circuits for programmed industrial electrical apparatus, which is free from the above mentioned disadvantages inherent in conventional logical for achieving proper starting of the motorwithout excessive load current peaks. The starting circuit comprises an auto-transformer consisting of three windings "f -T T T T T adapted to be connected in a Y -circuit for starting under reduced voltage, the switching-being effected by means of the three pairs of con- In a .circuit comp'rising at least one monostable fiipflop and at l'eas't'one electronic output element in which current fiowispontrolled by an output voltage from said "fiipfipp, according to the invention, each flipfiop has two separate output terminals only a first one of which is energized on application of an input voltage to the input l of the flipflop, while the other is energized in the ab sence', of an input voltage applied to the flipfiop input. I The input signal for theflipflop is derived from the output ofa chain of AND-gates each having two inputs l and'an output,,one input of each AND-gate being conhected with an output of a fiipflop and the other being connected with the output ofanother AND-gate of the chain, except as regards at least one relay at the initial supply to motor M from the lines.

tacts c c 0 For starting the motor M, the contacts .c are closed for supplying the auto-transformer from the power lines L 12 ,14 At the same time, the contacts 'c completethe Y-circuit connections of the three auto-transformer windings. The; motor is thus started under reduced voltage. After'a fewseconds time, when the speed of the motor has increased to a sufficiently high value, thecontacts c and c are opened again and the contacts 0 are then closed to provide a direct 7 It will be understood that the auto-transformer should be. completely disconnected in normal operation since it is not designed for prolonged operation under a high voltage supply.

in a conventional manner, the operating sequence for v the switch contacts c c Q is provided by means of v the circuit diagrarn'illustrated in FIG. 2, which shows endfof the chain, which relay has a command voltage Y directly applied thereto.

In such a circuit arrangement, each fiipflop connected at the output of a chain is adapted to'have' one of its l output terminals connected (directly or through'an amplifier) for energizing a. contactor device serving effectively to start in operation a part of the automatic equipment to be controlled, such operation however being :made'subordinate to the application of a control signal -to .the origin of at least one chain of the circuit; the connections of the static AND-gates in the chain or.

: chains ofthe circuit determine'which of said flipflops are actuated and the operating sequence in which they operate. V

The flipflops are preferably provided in the form of "a pair of asymmetrically coupled transistors so as to reactrnutually with one another .in a manner known per. se. Preferably moreover and AND-gates used are provided in the'form of transistors, wherein the emitter and base constitute the two inputsof the gate and the collcctor the output. In such case, the input terminal connected with an output terminal ofa fiipflop of the circuit is, preferably, the base of the transistor. 7 The similarity of a control circuit according to the invention with conventional electromechanical circuits will be made clear hereinafter in the case of a schematically shown example.

In contrast with-what is known from the afore-mentioned German patent, the flipflops and AND-gates are provided as separate elements, whereas in said patent the flipflop and the contact transistor associated there 3 with formed a unit; Moreover the AND-gates constituting the chains control the inputs of each flipflop whereas a in the German patent the contact transistor 'formed the output stage of the flipflop.

The ensuing description made with reference to the l accompanying drawing, given by way of illustration but the three conta'ctors or relays C C C which respectively operate the switch contacts' c c c and moreover an intermediate relay R1. The contactors and the relay are all connected inparallelacross the terminals 7 it) and ill of avoltage source, a manual cutoff switch Ar being provided for controlling the application of line voltage. V r

The energization a normally open contact c of the contactor. The coni tactors C C andrelay R areto be deenerg ized when the relay C is energized; hence their energizing circuit includes the rest, i.e. normally closed, contact, 0 of relay C ,The enepgization of contactor relay C is furthermore dependent on the closure of (normally open) "work contacts c of; contactor relay C and on the closure of rest (normally closed). contacts a of contactor C which latter contacts are provided with means for delaying the opening movement thereof.

Relay Ri is energizedgby way of work (normally open) f contactsv c of contactor relay. C and is provided with holding contacts o this circuit being dependenton closure of rest contacts C of contactor relay C It can readily be appreciated that the circuit shown l in FIG. 2 provides for the desired sequence of operations in'connection with the starting of motor M. When the operating switch Ma is closed, the contactor C is first energized, then the contactor C and relay Ri are energized in sequence, whereupon a low-speed starting circuit is completed for the motor M. The delayed-opening connot of limitation, will provide a clear understanding'of V the manner in which the invention may be worked.

FIG. 1 is adi'agram illustrating one example of elec- .trical equipment to be automatically controlled;

' FIG. 2 shows a conventional control circuit. for con- I trolling the equipment of FIG. 1,, using contactor and electromechanical relays; V

FIG. 3 shows a control circuit for the apparatus of 1 tacts e controlled by C open after a certain delay time,

C so that the rest contacts 0 close, and relay C is energized, is held by its holding contact e and opens contacts e thereby deenergizing C C and Ri.

When cutoff switch Ar is opened, contactor C is de energized, themotoris stoppedand the circuit is restored to its idle condition. y

7 FIG. 3 illustrates a control circuit for controlling the three contactor relays C C C using logical elements 7 in the form of static relays. As in FIG. 2 the power termij nals age shown at 10 and 11,.and the three contactor's the respective contactors. iary voltages for supplying'the static relays have not been C C C are connected in parallel acrossthese terminals through respective'control circuit branches including the amplifiers, A A A respectively, whose outputs feed For greater clarity, the auxilshown.

of contactor C depends on the closure of an operating switch Ma which is shunted by Two logical relays 12 and 13, respectively an AND-gate and an OR-gate, are associated as shown with a NOT- gate 1 The amplifier A; feeding the contactor C is supplied from the output of a NGT-gate 14 which in turn has its input connected to the output of an Oil-gate l3 one input of which is connected with the terminal ll) through cutoll switch AR and manual operating switch Ma, and the other input of which is connected to the output of AND-gate 22 having an input connected with source terminal 19 through cutoff switch AR and its other input connected with the output of OR-gate 33 as shown. On closure of operating switch Ma, a voltage signal is applied to one input of (BR-gate 13 which thereupon applies an output signal to NOT-gate M. In the absence of a voltage applied by way of line 15 to the NOT-gate 14, the latter applies a voltage through amplifier A to contactor C The output from OR-gate 13 is applied through line 16 to the input of AND-gate 12. As gate 1?- becomes conductive, the AND-gate 12 has both of its inputs energized and hence applies a signal to gate 13 which, by way of NOT-gate applies a holding voltage which maintains energization of contactor C The circuit shown in FIG. 3' need not be described in detail since its operation will be evident to those familiar with the art from the diagram shown, it being simply ecessary to state that the gates 17 and 21 are time delayed YES-gates, the delay imparted by 21 being somewhat longer than that imparted by 17, so that the voltage applied to C through NOT-gate i8 is out ch? first, and energizing signal is thereafter applied to C when the AND-gate 20 has both its inputs energized from l and 2.1. The operation of the circuit of MG. 3 will thus be readily understood and it will be seen that such operation is equivalent to that of the conventional circuit of FIG. 2.

Thus, it will be noted that the circuit of FIG. 3 utilizes three NOT-gates 14-, 1?; and 19. Hence, the absence or" an input voltage due to a fault of type in the circuit, such as a break in a connection, or a faulty contact, will necessarily be interpreted as a command signal and will cause a defective operation of the whole system.

lt will further be noted that a number of the circuits shown in FIG. 3 are looped, so that a mesh-type network is provided which is difficult to test in order to ascertain which particular component is defective in case of defective operation of the circuit as a whole. Moreover, a comparison between the diagrams of H68. 2 and 3 makes it evident that the two diagrams differ considerably from each other so that familiarity with the former circuit is insufilcient to permit of readily constructing and servicing the latter.

The circuit of the invention shown in FIG. 4, by way of distinction from the circuit shown in FIG. 3, employs only two types of static relays, namely a plurality of twoinput AND-gates, and a plurality of monostable fiipllops, preferably of the type consisting of transistors and including a control signal input and two outputs which may be provided e.g. by the collectors of the two transistors, and on which alternately occur the output voltages according as an input voltage signal is, or is not, applied. For greater clarity, the particular output that is energized when a control signal is applied is called the work output T, and the other output which is energized when no control signal is applied is called the rest output R. It is emphasized that each flipfiop has only two outputs T and R, despite the fact that in FIG. 4 several points labeled T are shown at each fiipflop. It is only for the sake of clarity that each wire or cable is shown as connected to its own associated terminal. Actually, all of the terminals T in each of the ilipllops B B B and ER are connected to one another, and all the respective wires could just as well be shown as meeting at a single point.

The circuit as a whole, as in the previously shown arrangements, is connected across the source terminals ll) and 11, with the contactors C C C being connected in parallel and supplied from the amplifiers A A A Amplifier A is supplied with the output T of llipllop B controlled by two AND-gates E and E Flipfiop B is similarly controlled by the two AND-gates E and E the latter being delayed. An auxiliary flipflop BR is used for registering cnergization of the T output of B and controlling the third flipflop B Flipflop ER is controlled by the two AND-gates E and E and llipilop B by the three AND-gates E 13, and E As will be realised from a consideration of the diagram, each of the AND-gates has one of its two inputs connected to an output T or R of a respective one of the flipfiops B B B or BR, and, except for AND-gate E each AND-gate has its other input connected to an output of another AND-gate. In other words, each AND- gate behaves as a conventional electric switch inserted between the second input and the output of the gate, which switch is controlled to one or the other of its states by the flipflop with which is connected the first input of the AND-gate.

According as said first input is connected to a T output or an R output of the associated flipflop, the AND-gate will behave as a pair of work contacts or rest contacts. Each fiip'llop is comparable, as explained in the beginning of the specification, to the assembly comprising a winding, core and armature of an electromechanical relay, and can thus control a plurality of work contacts and rest contacts which, in their turn, control the state of the flipfiop concerned as well as other fii-pfiops of the circui The operation of the circuit shown in FIG. 4 is as follows:

At the start, it is noted that one input of AND gate E is receivin a voltage from the rest output R of fiipfiop E (the input of which is at that time without voltage) via connection El. When the push button Mn is now depressedthe second input of AND-gate E receives the control voltage from line ill via connection 52. The resultant output voltage of the said gate is applied via connection E3 to the input of fiipfiops B; which is thereby shifted out of its rest state and provides an output voltage at tae terminals of its own work output T. Contactor C is, consequently, energized through amplifier A Since the voltage at the work output T of llipllops B is also applied .via connection 56 to AND-gate E both inputs of the latter are under voltage, whereby the output of this gate supplies a voltage via connections 57 and 52 to that input of AND-gate E which is connected to the push button Ma. This creates a holding circuit for ilipfiop B; which thus remains in shifted condition, with a voltage appearing at its work output T, even when the push button Ma is released.

Two voltages are now applied to the respective inputs of AND-gate E i.e. the output voltage of E via connection 5i5@, and the voltage at the work output T of ilipilop B via connection The resultant output voltage of E is applied via connection 61 to one input of AND-gate E the second input receiving, via connection 54, the voltage of the rest output of flipllop 13,. AND- gate E being delayed, as shown by capacitor 55, an output voltage is applied via connection 62 to the input of flipflop B and this continues during the delay of the AND-gate. Thus fiipilop B is shifted and its work output T yields a voltage for energizing contactor C through arnplifier A for the duration of the capacitor discharge.

Due to these operational stages, two voltages are now applied to the respective inputs of AND-gate E i.e. the output of AND-gate E via connect-ion 58, and the voltage at the work output T of flipil-op B via connection 63. The resultant output voltage of B is app-lied via connection 64 to fiipflop BR, shifting the same to provide 3. volt age at its own work output T. This voltage is applied via connection 6:; to AND-gate E which also receives the output voltage of E via connections 58 and 66. The output voltage of E, is applied via connection 7 to the input of fiipflop BR which thu stremaiiis shiited under the holding action of E as long as AND-gate E supplies a voltage at its own output.

When'the period of time during which the delayed AND-gate E delivers an output voltage has passed, fiipoutput voltage which is applied via connection 72 to flip fiop B to shift the same andenergize contactor C through amplifier A At the same time, the voltage at the work out-put T of flipflop B is applied via connection 73 to one input of AND-gate E the other input of which was already receiving the output voltage of AND-gate E via connection 7 4. This establishes a holding circuit via AND- ,gate E and connection 75 for fiipflop B and contactor C thus remains energized as long as AND-gate E supplies an output voltage, -i.e. as long as flipfiop B remains in its rest state and switch AR closed.

Flipflop B having been shifted, AND-gate E is now deprived of one input voltage, i.e. the one previously ap plied thereto via connection 51 from rest output R of B and ceases to provide an output voltage, whereby .fiipflop B is returned to its rest state. As a concomitant there-of, AND-gates E and E are deprived of an input voltage each. With AND-gates E andlE turned off, fiipfiop BR is returned to its rest state. C of course continues in operation until switch AR is opened.

It is seen, therefore, that the circuit of FIG. 4 gives the same sequential operation as the arrangement of FIG. 2, i.e.'the closingof C and C the latter without any delay, the opening of C after a given period of time, and the fsubsequent closing of C followed by the reopening of C Comparing the diagrams of FIGS. 2 and 4, it is seen that each of the pairs of contacts in FIG. 2 is. exactly equivalent to an AND-gate of FIG. 4 so that, in practice, the diagrams are equivalent. The broken line connections which, in FIG. 2, represent mechanical connections from contactor-s to the contacts controlled thereby are here" j ing the relative positions of the components shown in such diagrams.

As previously stated, each of the AND-gates employed in the circuit of FIG. 4 and generally designated by reference character E in FIG. 4a, is advantageously a transistor having a base b, an emitter e and a collector c. The bases b constitute those inputs of the respective transistors to which the electrical connections shown in thick lines are connected, while the emitters e constitute those inputs of the respective transistors to which are connected the electrical connections shown in fine lines at the lefthand sides of the AND-gates in FIG. 4. The collectors c constitute the outputs of the respective transistors to which are connected the electrical connections shown in fine lines at the right-hand sides of the AND-gates in FIG. 4. In this arrangement, a chain of AND-gates comprises the emitter-collector circuits of the transistors serially connectcd and terminating at the input of an associated flipflop.

Moreover, the testing, maintenance and replacement of the components of such a circuit are practically as easily performed as in the case with a conventional electromechanical circuit, For this purpose, according to the invention, each AND-gate is provided with two projecting test terminals. One testterminal 3d of thegate is an output I terminal and the. other test terminal 31 corresponds to that one of the two inputs of the gate which is connected with the output of another AND-gate, or directly wit-h a control input signal, in other words that input which is not connected with a flipflop output T or R.

In a circuit according to the invention, each AND-gate behaves as a pair of switch cont-acts which makes or breaks a circuit between an input and an output each provided with a test terminal. Hence, for. testingthe circuit, the same procedure may be used as is used with ordinary electromechanical switch contacts, i.e. by shunting the test terminals to check the continuity of the corresponding circuit and/ or measuring with a voltmeter the voltage across the test terminals. Since the AND-gates and the contacts of the electromechanical circuit correspond with one another, the same test programs may be used in either case.

Preferably, as shown in FIG. 4, all the AND-gates forming the chain controlling the state of a fiipfiop, are aligned with said fiipflop. This is equivalent to positioning, in the circuit of FIG. 2, all the component elements of the circuit on the full-line connection leading to a contactor or a relay.

Alternatively, the AND-gates connected to the output terminal of a common flipfiop may all be aligned together. Such an arrangement will correspond to the usual electromechanical constructions in which all the contacts associated with a common contactor or relay are substantially positioned in a common are-a.

Beyond the fiipfiop there will therefore be positioned the connections from the output I of the fiipflop. to the utilization device receiving the voltage output from the flipflop; while at the input to the chain there may be placed the mechanical contacts, such as manual or cyclically operated switches, limit switches, pressure, temperature, and/or,

-level-responsive switches, and the like, which are to control the operation of the apparatus.

Preferably, the conductors corresponding to a series of aligned elements are grouped together in a common rectilinear conduit which may form a base on which are mounted, egg. by plugging, the circuit elements in the form of removable units. In such case the units are preferably all of similar dimensions. and constructed so as to be juxtaposable with one another, so that the conduits are equal in length to a multiple of the length of a unit.

It will beunderstood that various modifications may be made in the forms of embodiment just described without departing from the scope of the invention.

What we claim is:

1. electrical circuit arrangement for controlling the sequential energization and deenergization of a plurality of controlled elements, comprising: a plurality of monostable fiipfiops each having an input and two outputs and adapted to provide a voltage at a first one of said outputs if a voltageis applied to said input, and to provide a voltagerat the second output if no voltage is applied to said input; means connecting said first outputs of some of said flipflops with respective ones of said controlled elements; a plurality of chains of AND-gates each associated with a respective one of'said fiipflops for controlling shifting thereof; each of said AND-gates having first and second inputs and one output; one single, direct connection between the first input of each AND-gate and a selected one output of one flipfiop; means interconnecting the output of at least an end one of the AND-gates of each chain and the input of the associated fiipflop; means connecting the outputs of the other AND-gates to said second inputs of some of said AND-gates; means connecting the said 9 necting means ensuring that application of said command signal produces the desired sequential energization and deenergization of the controlled elements.

2. An electrical circuit arrangement for controlling the sequential energization and deenergization of a plurality of controlled elements, comprising: a plurality of monostaole fliptlops each having an input and two outputs and adapted to provide a voltage at a first one of said outputs it a voltage is applied to said input, and to provide a Voltage at the second output it no voltage is applied to said input; means connecting said first outputs of some of said fiipfiops with respective ones of said controlled elements; a plurality of AND-gates each having first and second inputs and one output, each of said first inputs controlling the internal path in its respective AND-gate etween said second input and the associated output; a plurality of electrical circuits each connected to a respective fiipflop input and comprising at least one of the internal paths of said AND-gates; one single direct connection between the first input of each AND-gate and a selected one output of one iiipflop; means for electrically interconnecting portions of said circuits remote from said fiipfiops; and means for selectively applying a command signal to said second input of an AND-gate located toward the end of at least one circuit remote from the corresponding fiipflop.

3. An electrical circuit according to claim 2, further comprising a pair of testing terminals connected with each of said AND-gates for testing the associated internal path, one of said testing terminals for each AND-gate being connected to said second input of that AND-gate, and the other testing terminal for the same AND-gate being connected to the output of the latter.

4. An electrical circuit according to claim 2, wherein at least some of said AND-gates are transistors in each of which said internal path is the emitter-collector path and said first input is the base thereof.

5, An electrical circuit according to claim 1, including means for mounting said AND-gates of each chain in alignment with the associated flipficp.

References tlited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,655,598 10/53 Eckert et al. 328-97 2,906,869 9/59 Kramskoy 328-97 2,977,539 3/61 Townsend 32897 3,049,650 8/62 Greenblatt 307-885 OTHER REFERENCES Brown et al.: Transistors, a New Class of Relays, Control, pages 7076.

Arithmetic Operations in Digital Computers, by Richards, D. Van Nostrand Co. Inc, New Jersey, pages 43 and 44, 778 and 145.

ARTHUR GAUSS, Primary Examiner.

JOHN W. HUCKERT, Examiner. 

1. AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENT FOR CONTROLLING THE SEQUENTIAL ENERGIZATION AND A DEENERGIZATION OF A PLURALITY OF CONTROLLED ELEMENTS, COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF MONOSTABLE FLIPFLOPS EACH HAVING AN INPUT AND TWO OUTPUTS AND ADAPTED TO PROVIDE A VOLTAGE AT A FIRST ONE OF SAID OUTPUTS IF A VOLTAGE IS APPLIED TO SAID INPUT, AND TO PROVIDE A VOLTAGE AT THE SECOND OUTPUT IF NO VOLTAGE IS APPLIED TO SAID INPUT; MEANS CONNECTING SAID FIRST OUTPUTS OF SOME OF SAID FLIPFLOPS WITH RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID CONTROLLED ELEMENTS; A PLURALITY OF CHAINS OF AND-GATES EACH ASSOCIATED WITH A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID FLIPFLOPS FOR CONTROLLING SHIFTING THEREOF; EACH OF SAID AND-GATES HAVING FIRST AND SECOND INPUTS AND ONE OUTPUT; ONE SINGLE, DIRECT CONNECTION BETWEEN THE FIRST INPUT OF EACH AND-GATE AND A SELECTED ONE OUTPUT OF ONE FLIPFLOP; MEANS INTERCONNECTING THE OUTPUT OF AT LEAST AN END ONE OF THE AND-GATES OF EACH CHAIN AND THE INPUT OFF THE ASSOCIATED FLIPFLOP; MEANS CONNECTING THE OUTPUTS OF THE OTHER AND-GATES OF SAID SECOND INPUTS OF SOME OF SAID AND-GATES; MEANS CONNECTING THE SAID SECOND INPUT OF THE INITIAL AND-GATE OF EACH CHAING TO A FEED VOLTAGE AND MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY APPLYING A COMMAND SIGNAL TO SAID SECOND INPUT OF AN INITIAL AND-GATE OF AT LEAST ONE OF SAID CHAINS, THE PATTERN OF SAID INTERCONNECTING MEANS ENSURING THAT APPLICATION OF SAID COMMAND SIGNAL PRODUCES THE DESIRED SEQUENTIAL ENERGIZATION AND DEENERGIZATION OF THE CONTROLLED ELEMENT. 